Nepal is located in South Asia between China
in the north and India in the south, east and west. While the total land
area is 147,181 sq. km including water area of the country that is
3,830 sq. km. The geographical coordinates are 28°00′N 84°00′E.
Nepal falls in the temperate zone north of the Tropic of Cancer.Nepal’s
ecological zones run east to west about 800 km along its Himalayan
axis, 150 to 250 km north to south, and is vertically intersected by the
river systems. The country can be divided into three main geographical
regions: Himalayan region, mid hill region and Terai region. The highest
point in the country is Mt. Everest (8,848 m) while the lowest point is
in the Terai plains of Kechana Kalan in Jhapa (60 m).
The Terai region, with width of ranging 26 to 32 km and altitude
ranging from 60 -305 m, occupies about 17 percent of total land area of
the country. Kechana Kalan, the lowest point of the country with an
altitude of 60 m, lies in Jhapa district of the eastern Terai.The
southern lowland Terai continues to the Bhabar belt covered with the
Char Kose Jhadi forests known for rich wildlife. Further north, the
Siwalik zone (700 – 1,500 m) and the Mahabharat range (1,500 – 2,700 m)
give way to the Duns (valleys), such as Trijuga, Sindhuli, Chitwan, Dang
and Surkhet. The Midlands (600 – 3,500 m), north of the Mahabharat
range is where the two beautiful valleys of Kathmandu and Pokhara lie
covered in terraced rice fields, and surrounded by forested watersheds.The Himalayas (above 3,000 m) comprises mountains, alpine pastures and temperate forests limited by the tree-line (4,000 m) and snow line (5,500 m). Eight of the 14 eight-thousanders of the world lie in Nepal: Sagarmatha or Mount Everest (8,848 m), Kanchenjunga (8,586 m), Lhotse (8,516 m), Makalu (8,463 m), Cho Oyu (8,201m), Dhaulagiri (8,167 m), Manaslu (8,163 m) and Annapurna (8,091 m). The inner Himalayan valley (above 3,600 m) such as Mustang and Dolpa are cold deserts sharing topographical characteristics with the Tibetan plateau.Nepal holds the so called “waters towers of South Asia” with its 6,000 rivers which are snow-fed or dependent on rain. The perennial rivers include Mahakali, Karnali, Narayani and Koshi rivers originating in the Himalayas. Medium-sized rivers like Babai, West Rapti, Bagmati, Kamla, Kankai and Mechi originate in the Midlands and Mahabharat range. A large number of seasonal streams, mostly originating in Siwaliks, flow across the Terai.
Of 163 wetlands documented, the nine globally recognized Ramsar sites are: Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Beeshazarital (Chitwan), Jagdishpur Reservoir (Kapilvastu) Ghodaghodi Tal (Kailali) in the Terai, and Gokyo (Solukhumbu), Phoksundo (Dolpa), Rara (Mugu) and Mai Pokhari (Ilam) in the mountain region.There are more than 30 natural caves in the country out of which only a few are accessible by road. Maratika Cave (also known as Haleshi) is a pilgrimage site associated with Buddhism and Hinduism. Siddha Cave is near Bimalnagar along the Kathmandu-Pokhara highway. Pokhara is also known for caves namely Bats’ shed, Batulechar, Gupteswar, Patale Chhango. The numerous caves around Lo Manthang in Mustang include Luri and Tashi Kabum which house ancient murals and chhortens dating back to the 13th century.
